diff --git a/tests/activities-test.mjs b/tests/activities-test.mjs
index 612ea2c..ffe6c56 100644
--- a/tests/activities-test.mjs
+++ b/tests/activities-test.mjs
@@ -195,8 +195,12 @@ const DECK = {
     "timed: the timeout is recorded as a miss",
     (await page.locator("[data-testid=study-feed]").evaluate((element) => element.scrollTop)) > 100,
   );
+  /* A fresh budget, not the exhausted card's leftover (which reads ~0). The
+     window is deliberately loose at the low end: under the fake clock the
+     suite's own waits advance the app's interval, and a loaded machine can
+     tick a few extra seconds between the switch and this read. */
   const fresh = Number.parseInt((await toggle.textContent()) ?? "", 10);
-  check("timed: the next card gets a fresh budget", fresh >= 25 && fresh <= 30, String(fresh));
+  check("timed: the next card gets a fresh budget", fresh >= 20 && fresh <= 30, String(fresh));
 
   /* The second card times out too: the results screen counts the miss. */
   await page.clock.runFor(31_000);